Just Like His Mother
by QueenAurora
Summary: When Stoick wakes up and finds Hiccup's bed empty, he naturally fears the worst. But nothing can prepare him for what he finds... a small bit of his wife reborn in his son.


_And yet another one-shot with five-year-old Hiccup. This is the... sixth or so in the series. The idea for this one came from Flame The Dragon Rider, and I quote: "you should do a story that Stoick wakes up and realizes Hiccup isn't there and he goes looking for him, finding him in the arena playing with a terror and he realizes how much like his mother Hiccup really is."_

_So here it is! So sorry for not updating any of my other stories yet, but school is asking a lot of me at the moment and I have so much to do... *__dies*_

_Not one of my best works, but considering the amount of work I still have to do... *__looks at stack of paper...__* I think it turned out rather well._

_Enjoy!_

**Just Like His Mother**

He woke up with a jolt, sensing that something was wrong. He listened for any sign of a dragon attack, but it was quiet outside. Only some lonely birds were chirping in the pale morning light. He sighed, running a hand over his face and got ready for another day of chiefing. He decided to put his worries aside. Really, what could go wrong on a day after a peaceful night?

He hummed softly while he walked up the stairs to wake his son. He softly knocked on the door, but no response came. He smiled while he turned the doorknob. Hiccup never wanted to get up in the morning. But as soon as he stepped into the room, he froze, the smile fading from his face.

Hiccup's bed was empty.

'Hiccup? Hiccup!'

He ran back downstairs, but the house was empty. He heard no giggle from a child coming from one of the many hiding places Hiccup knew, not his rapid footsteps as he ran from his father. He yanked the door open and rushed outside. He had awoken so early that the village was still asleep, he was always up before the others.

'Hiccup! HICCUP!'

A million fears started to rise. Hiccup could have fallen off a cliff, or have gotten lost in the forest. He could have been taken by a dragon, or simply killed by the beast. He could be dead, dying, he could have fallen into the ocean and drowned...

He ran down the steps of his house towards the plaza. The first thing he checked was the forge. He knew the boy would go there and hide in the back room when he was sad or angry. But this time the back room was empty and the panic was growing rapidly now.

'HICCUP! Son! Where are you!'

He ran around the village, looking in every spot he knew the boy would hide sometimes, but the child was nowhere to be found. He froze when he suddenly heard a high pitched shriek and looked around, frantically searching for the dragon that had made the sound. For some strange reason, it was coming from inside the Arena. As he walked closer, he also heard something else.

The giggle of a child.

He rushed to the edge and stared down into the Arena. What he saw made his heart skip a thousand beats.

He had found his son.

Hiccup was in the Arena, but he wasn't alone. He was running circles around the round space of the Arena, chased by a small dragon, a Terrible Terror.

Hiccup was being chased by a dragon.

He didn't even register that Hiccup wasn't screaming or crying, but that he was laughing.

He didn't even see that when the dragon jumped the child, it licked his face instead of blasting his head off.

He didn't see how Hiccup hugged the dragon tightly, the small creature purring against his chest.

All he had seen was that his _son _was being chased by a _dragon_.

Seconds after this realization sank in, he was already running towards the Arena door. When he rushed in, he saw Hiccup sitting in the ground, grabbing his boot with both his hands, while the dragon was trying to pull it off with his teeth, which only resulted in the child being dragged across the floor.

He rushed forward and kicked the dragon away from his son. The beast shrieked as it flew through the air and landed against the wall. It jumped on his paws, hissing and growling. When Stoick took one step in the direction of the dragon, it hissed even louder and flapped his wings. Before he could do anything, the Terror flew through the chain netting above the Arena, still hissing. Then he turned to his son.

The child was staring up at him with his eyes big and round. He crossed his arms and stared at Hiccup angrily. He towered over the child, and Hiccup's lip started to tremble.

'Daddy... I'm sorry...'

'Do you have any idea how worried I was about you?! I thought you were dead! Dead, Hiccup! You could have been taken by a dragon!'

'But daddy...'

'No! You're coming with me right now!'

He yanked the boy to his feet, holding his arm tightly and he almost dragged him back to the house. The boy was really crying now, sniffing and muttering that he was sorry. He had to run to keep up with his father's angry strides and he would stumble, only staying on his feet because of the iron grip on his arm.

As soon as he was inside the house, he let go of Hiccup's arm, almost throwing him to the floor. He ignored him and stomped to the fire, throwing more wood into it.

'What in Odin's name were you thinking! That dragon could have killed you!'

'But daddy... we were just playing...'

'We do NOT PLAY with DRAGONs, Hiccup! Dragons are dangerous! They attack people and kill them!'

'But he didn't hurt me...'

'Hiccup! Look at me! WE DO NOT PLAY WITH DRAGONS! Am I clear? Am I clear, Hiccup?'

The boy nodded, tears streaming down his face. While he was looking down at his son, Stoick couldn't help but think of Valka. She had always believed that dragons were not as they thought they were, she had always believed that things could change between them. But faith had been cruel and she had been taken by a dragon. Looking down at the crying child on the floor suddenly made him realize how much like his mother he really was.

He sighed, his anger fading. The dragon hadn't hurt Hiccup, he had. The way the boy was holding his arm told him he had gripped him too forcefully, probably bruising the soft skin. He knelt in front of the boy, gently lifting his chin with a single finger. Two emerald green eyes stared up at him, glistening with tears.

Valka's eyes. He had Valka's eyes.

He looked so much like his mother already. So much so it even hurt a little to look at him. All it did was remind him of who he had lost.

'I'm sorry daddy.' The boy sniffed. 'I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you mad.'

'Hiccup...'

He sighed. The boy was only five years old, and he often woke up in the middle of the night. Sometimes he would wake him, demanding attention from his father. Sometimes he would play in his room until the sunrise, then go back to sleep for a few more hours. But never, _never_, had he left the house on his own before.

It had been the fear of finding his room empty and then finding him in the Arena with a dragon that had caused him to explode. It wasn't Hiccup's fault that he was bored easily. It wasn't Hiccup's fault he was taking after his mother.

But playing with dragons?

That just sounded too ludicrous to even comprehend. Dragons weren't something you played with, they were something you killed. Preferably before it killed you. He sighed again and ran a hand over his face. Then he turned to Hiccup again. The boy wasn't crying anymore, but his face was still wet from tears. He bent down and picked him up, gently smoothing his hair.

'I am sorry too son, but I was very worried about you. You have to understand, that when I found you were not in your room, I got really scared something had happened to you. And you must understand that dragons are very dangerous creatures.'

'But daddy, he just wanted to play.'

'And what if he's hungry next time? He will kill you Hiccup, and I don't want that do you understand that?' Hiccup nodded, wiping his face with his sleeve. Stoick smiled a little. 'Don't ever leave the house without me again, okay? Especially not in the middle of the night. It's far too dangerous for a child your age.'

'Yes daddy.'

Stoick smiled widened as he looked at Hiccup's face and he gently wiped the remaining tears away.

'Daddy? You hurt my arm.'

'Oh son, I'm sorry. But I was very worried, and people can get really angry when they're very worried. Alright, let me see that.'

He sat the child down on the table, something he normally wasn't allowed to do and slipped his arm out of the sleeve. He had been right. He had held on so tight his fingers were clearly visible on the boys pale skin. It was just a bruise though, and it should heal quickly.

'It's nothing son, it will go away.'

He dressed the boy again and looked at him, his auburn hair, messy like Valka's. His green eyes, shining the same way as his mother's eyes. He had never realized that his son looked so much like his mother. He even had her character.

He knew he would never say it, but Hiccup was just like his mother.

On one hand, knowing this made him sad. He knew that it would be a reminder of her every time he saw the child.

On the other hand he was glad. He had a little bit of his wife left, and it was the most precious part.

He decided to forget about the sadness for now, and just embrace the memories he still had of her. He would make new ones with his son now, because as long as he had Hiccup, he hadn't truly lost his wife. Not completely.

Because he was just like his mother


End file.
